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Home :: Products :: Amplifiers :: Micro2™
Our Micro2™ ultra low power amplifiers are made to deliver boutique tone to your home or studio environment.
With constantly variable power from .25 Watt to 6 Watts, these amps produce sound ranging in volume from that of a small television to more than enough oomph to annoy your mother-in-law.
These tiny amplifiers run at or above the maximum voltages allowed by their power tubes. We do not achieve low power by starving the tubes or by using preamp tubes as "power" tubes or even by running pentodes in "triode mode." This means these amps sound and feel like large amps, which also run pentodes at maximum voltages. All of these little guys push their tone with 260+ Volts on the plates of a pair of EL91 power pentodes or 6AK6 beam power pentodes running push-pull in modern class A.
Our built-in Variac technology allows you to continuously adjust the output Wattage of the power tubes by adjusting the amplifier's operating voltage--without changing the tone. You can rock the studio with 6W at maximum voltage or rock the living room with 0.25W at minimum voltage. Consistent tone with variable loudness. That's what makes ours a cut above the rest in the small amp world.
Like all of our amplifiers, we build this line of amps with only the best, most reliable parts available. With premium components like MASSIVE boutique transformers, Mallory or SoZo capacitors, Celestion speakers, laser-engraved face plates, Teflon wire, silver solder, welded aluminum chassis, and birch cabinets, you can be sure your amp will be built to last longer than you were.
Each of our tiny amplifiers is wired one at a time by an actual person at our shop in Frisco, Texas. Chassis are laser punched at a CNC metal shop in Dallas. Cabinets are made by hand in Missouri. Transformers are wound in California. Face plates are engraved in Pennsylvania. Our build methods are top-notch and include point-to-point eyelet board construction and exacting attention to detail.
We know you have a pedal board you just can't live without. So we designed these circuits to sound awesome alone and to play nicely with what you already have.
With an available passive series effects loop and variable line out in each design, we give you maximum flexibility at home and in the studio. Use our tiny amps as home practice units, studio amps, or slave them to bigger amps as preamps for the stage. Used in conjuction with a speaker simulator or mic, these little monsters can provide your gigging tones as well.
Modeled on the best black face tones of the 60s, this amp is designed to take you to sonic Heaven with or without a Tube Screamer. With black face voicing and just the right amount of natural overdrive and compression on tap, this amp is guaranteed to put a dumb grin on the face of any blues or country player.
Controls: Volume, Treble, Middle, Bass, Brilliance, Voltage
Tubes: (1) 12AX7, (1) 12AT7, (2) 6AK6
A British gentleman by the name of Jim made a killer amp in 1968. It was a transitional design which was not in production very long, but a Dutch fellow seized upon it and made rock and roll history. Our scaled-down version takes you back to 1968 with authority and is even helpful enough to internally jumper the channels for you.
Controls: Drk Volume, Brt Volume, Treble, Middle, Bass, Presence, Voltage
Tubes: (3) 12AX7, (2) EL91
Some of the best things in the world are born in garages. Apple Computer, Hewlett Packard, Trainwreck™ Circuits... The late and very great Ken Fischer made some of the best sounding lead amps in history. We don't pretend to command an ounce of his talent, but we do offer an amp that has similar Wreck vibe on a very small scale.
Controls: Volume, Treble, Middle, Bass, Post Gain, Presence, Voltage
Tubes: (3) 12AX7, (2) EL91
Our most versatile design is something like a hot-rodded 800. A guy named Mike made a venerable name for himself by adding a gain stage to an already popular British amplifier. You can have that same tone at a tiny fraction of the volume of the famous SLOw hand thing.
Controls: Gain, Level, Treble, Middle, Bass, Presence, Resonance, Voltage
Tubes: (3) 12AX7, (2) 6AK6
Our take on another famous British design--you know the one with the diamond grille cloth that is famous for constantly bursting into flames. You can think of this amp as an AC-6 of sorts if you like. Six Watts of pure English chime is on tap for a tone that cuts through like you wouldn't believe.
Controls: Volume, Treble, Middle, Bass, Master, Cut, Voltage
Tubes: (3) 12AX7, (2) EL91
What do you get when you take a Yank tweed bass amp and add some Brit flair? Well, you get Jim's first amplifier. We find this amp sounds best when sitting against a brick wall while perusing a comic book.
Controls: Drk Volume, Brt Volume, Treble, Middle, Bass, Presence, Voltage
Tubes: (3) 12AX7, (2) 6AK6
All amplifiers are made on a build-to-order basis. Current delivery time is 3 to 5 weeks as of 02/15/2008.
You may place an order using our shopping cart below. If you prefer to place an order with a $500 deposit (with the balance due at the time of shipment), you can do that as well. Be sure to include complete information on which circuit, cabinet, speaker, and upgrades you are ordering in the order comments section.
Deposit Only |
||
| Micro2™ Deposit | $500 | |
Step 1:. Choose Your Circuit |
||
| Micro2™ M1 - California Amplifier | $1099 | |
| Micro2™ M2 - Van Plexi Amplifier | $1099 | |
| Micro2™ M3 - Wrecktified Amplifier | $1099 | |
| Micro2™ M4 - Modern Amplifier | $1099 | |
| Micro2™ M5 - Diamond Amplifier | $1099 | |
| Micro2™ M6 - Beano 45 Amplifier | $1099 | |
Step 2:. Choose Your Cabinet |
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Micro2™ Head Cabinet |
$0 | |
Micro2™ 1x12 Combo Cabinet |
$149 | |
Micro2™ 1x12 Extension Cabinet |
$349 | |
Step 3:. Choose Your Speaker |
||
| Celestion G12M Greenback 12" 25W 98dB 8 Ohm | $105 | |
| Celestion G12H30 12" 30W 100dB 8 Ohm | $129 | |
| Celestion Blue 12" 15W 100dB 8 Ohm | $259 | |
| Eminence Legend GB12A 12" 50W 101dB 8 Ohm | $79 | |
| Eminence Legend 125A 12" 75W 100dB 8 Ohm | $69 | |
| Eminence Red Fang 12" 30W 103dB 8 Ohm | $139 | |
| Jensen P12Q RI 12" 40W 96dB 8 Ohm | $69 | |
Step 4:. Choose Your Upgrade Options |
||
| SoZo Capacitor Upgrade | $49 | |
| Carbon Comp Resistor Upgrade | $24 | |
| Mercury Magnetics Output Transformer Upgrade | $109 | |
| Effects Loop (passive series) Option | $49 | |
| Line Out (variable) Option | $49 | |
| Virtual Tube Rectifier Option | $24 | |
| Aluminum Face Plate Upgrade | $59 | |
| Stainless Face Plate Upgrade | $69 | |
California Semi-Clean
California Tele Blues
[Submitted by Micro2 Owners]
Add your clip to our library!
| Output Power |
5.8W RMS 10% THD - EL91 4.6W RMS 10% THD - 6AK6 |
| Output Impedance |
8 Ohms (Standard) 4, 8, and 16 Ohms (Mercury) |
| Input Impedance | 1M Ohms |
| Front Controls | Varies by model (see text above) |
| Rear Controls | Varies by model (see text above) |
| Indicators | Neon pilot lamp |
| Input | 1/4" instrument jack |
| Output | 1/4" speaker jacks x 2 |
| Fuse | 1A Slo-Blo |
| Power Transformer | Standard |
| Output Transformer | Standard or Mercury Magnetics |
| Filter Choke | Standard |
| Rectifier | Ultra Fast Solid State |
| Tubes | EH 12AX7 and NOS EL91 or 6AK6 |
| Tube Sockets | Micalex silver plated |
| Capacitors | Mallory or SoZo, Silver Mica |
| Electrolytics | JJ and Tech-Cap USA |
| Resistors | Carbon film and metal oxide |
| Potentiometers | Carbon composition |
| Jacks | Neutrik |
| Switches | Carling |
| Hookup Wire | Oxygen free silver tinned Teflon |
| Shielded Wire | Oxygen free silver tinned Teflon |
| Solder | Silver content |
| Chassis | Laser punched and welded 2mm Aluminum |
| Faceplates | Laser engraved plastic, aluminum or stainless |
It is hard to say one of these brands is better than the other--they are both very high quality. They just sound different. Generally speaking, SoZo caps are a little mellower and smoother sounding, whereas Mallory caps are a little brighter and have a little bit more "spank." We like Mallory caps in most circuits, but SoZo caps do capture the tone of the old British mustard caps and sound great in British circuits and with overdriven tones in general. We will also use Sprague Orange Drops upon request--these are the brightest and most hi-fi sounding of the bunch--very 70s Fendery.
Good question. The answer has to do with cost and better available options. Spring reverb costs about $200 in parts and labor, which drives the price of these amps up considerably. You can order your amp with an FX loop and use a reverb pedal or rack processor instead and end up with far better results at a much lower price. Be sure to check out the TC Electronic Nova Reverb and the Line 6 Verbzilla as examples of excellent sounding reverb pedals.
In a word, yes. We either own one of or have access to an excellent sample of each of the models we offer. Therefore, we have the opportunity to conduct side-by-side comparisons, which are priceless in product development. The actual circuits of these amps are not identical to the originals because we have tweaked them to provide the same tone with different output tubes and at much lower volumes, but you can rest assured they do sound the same as or as close as can be achieved by mere mortals.
We are charging you wholesale plus freight (that is what it costs us to buy the speaker and have it shipped to us) for speakers ordered with an amp. We do not try to make a profit on individual components used in a complex product like an amplifier. You may not order a speaker only from this page, however. You can only get this price when buying it as part of an amplifier. Sorry!
Mercury Magnetics simply makes the highest quality transformers available at any price. They sound awesome and are unmatched for consistency from one unit to the next. We highly recommend them, however, to keep the price of entry into our amplifiers as low as possible, we use other brands of very high quality transformers that are available at lower prices. Rest assured that we are not cutting corners here. Our standard transformers are twice as big as they need to be (10W transformers for 5 & 6W amps), which means they will sound great, run cool, and last virtually forever. And all our transformers are made in either the USA or Canada.
This is a two part answer. If you want a quieter amp with an American voice, we suggest the Jensen P12Q reissue. While not our favorite speaker with most amps, these low power AlNiCos sound excellent with low power amplifiers. If you are interested in a louder speaker, the Eminence 125A is the way to go with its 100dB sensitivity and extra punch. Genenerally speaking, the P12Q is about half as loud as the 125A.
Turning to the British side of the pond, a Celestion G12M Greenback reissue gives you the classic English tone at lower volumes, and its low power handling capacity complements these amps very well. If you want similar tone with a bigger bottom and higher output, the Celestion G12H30 or Eminence GB12A are great options and are almost twice as loud as the Greenback. The Eminence Red Fang is the loudest of all--you won't believe how loud a 6W amp can be until you've heard one with a Red Fang!
This site created by Steven Scott for s2 Audio Technology / s2 Amplification, copyright 2004-2008...blah, blah, blah...and stuff. All rights reserved. Specifications and components are listed for information only and are subject to change without notice. We probably used some trademarks on this page. Those belong to someone else. Users of this site consume any and all products and/or information presented herein at their own risk.